As part of the Human Trafficking and the State Courts Initiative, the Center for Court Innovation (CCI) has developed a video and user guide focusing on court-led responses to human trafficking
The video and the accompanying viewers’ guide, titled, From Defendant to Survivor: How Courts are Responding to Human Trafficking, profile some of the innovative ways courts are responding to the needs of human trafficking victims. While each court is unique, they share a set of common principles including: responding to defendants’ trauma, connecting them to services, fostering collaboration across the agencies that support victims, and taking a flexible approach to how success is defined in light of the complex and unique challenges facing these victims.
Survivors of sex trafficking are usually treated as criminals—who are arrested and prosecuted—rather than victims. But some courts are changing their approach, recognizing that those arrested on prostitution charges are often victims of coercion, violence, and trauma.
CCI has also made the following related resources available on their site: